Beef Stroganoff

I compiled this recipe from other suggestions on the net, and from my own experiences in making it. I hope you enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb top sirloin or tenderloin, cut thin into 1-inch wide by 2 1/2-inch long strips (often time I will use elk or leftover steak for this, just skip the 1st step of browning the meat).
3 tbsp butter, divided
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 package Lipton Onion Soup mix
2 tbsp minced dried onion
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup water
1 can reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Melt 2 tbsp of butter in large skillet on medium heat.  Increase the heat to med-high and add strips of beef.  Brown quickly, seasoning with salt and pepper on each side.  When both sides are browned, remove the beef to a bowl and set aside.

Melt 1 tbsp butter in same skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and mushrooms and sauté until browned and tender. Add soup mix, minced onions, mustard, and Worcestershire.  Stir until dissolved.

Add wine, water, and mushroom soup. Stir and continue to heat until thickened and bubbly. Add meat back into the skillet with sauce.

Reduce heat to medium- high. Add sour cream, nutmeg, salt (careful with salt as onion soup mix is pretty salty) and pepper to taste. Stir and cook 5-10 more minutes.

Serve over egg noodles (my preference), rice, mashed potatoes, or other pasta.

The Best French Dip

This is definitely one of our "go-to" recipes for the colder months.  Quick, easy, and comfort food indeed!  I sometimes will add a can of cream of mushroom soup over the pot roast as well, and we enjoy it that way too.  It gives it an extra amount of creaminess which we like.  This is the fancy way to make french dip, but sometimes I don't have mushrooms, onions, and cheese to do it this way.  Believe me, it's just as good without!    This recipe is for 8 servings, but feel free to size it down appropriately for your family.  I don't mind having leftover sandwiches for lunch the next day, and I usually have even more leftover meat and au-jus which I use for homemade hash on a following day.

French Dip

2-3 lb Beef chuck roast, pot roast, or other roast cut of your choice (should have some fat content to keep the roast moist)
1 package Lipton Onion Soup mix
1-2 beef bullion cubes (depending on size and to taste)
8 french or sourdough hoagie rolls
4 tbsp butter, divided
Johnny's garlic bread seasoning (can substitute mixture of 1/2 garlic powder and 1/2 Parmesan cheese)
8 slices provolone cheese
10-12 button mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, halved and sliced

Place roast in crock pot.  Pour about 2 cups of water in the base of the crock pot. Pour Lipton onion soup mix over roast and into water.  Cook on high for 8-10 hours (meat should be falling apart).

Once ready to serve, remove roast from crock pot, turn the pot off, and let roast stand on plate for a few minutes.  Shred.  Add beef bullion to juices in the crock pot and let dissolve.  Add more water if needed, depending on amount of au-jus you want.

Saute onions and mushrooms in 1 tbsp of butter until browned and wilted.  

Open hoagie rolls and butter both sides.  Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning.  Broil 2-3 minutes or until browned in oven.  Remove from oven and add 1/2 slice of cheese to each side of bun.  Broil 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Top each bun with generous amount of shredded meat and mushroom/onion mixture.  Cut in half and serve with a dipping cup full of au-jus from the crock pot.